Man Of The Year

First of all, it's been a long time since I last posted, and there are 2 reasons for that: 1) I was trying to decide whether I wanted to keep this blog up and running, and 2) right now is the lull in the movie business between the summer blockbusters and the Oscar-worthy films. The overall decision I made was sort of a compromise: I'm not going to update it everyday just for the sake of updating it, but only when I feel compelled to do so. That means that I will update it when there's movie news I care about out there. When the Oscar season rolls around, I might update it many times a day, and conversely, in a lull like this when all the crappy movies come out to play, it might take a while for something to come along. But either way, I appreciate you reading this, and hope you continue to do so.

Now then, on to this movie. The movie is called Man Of The Year, and it's got some serious potential. First of all, it stars Robin Williams, Christopher Walken, and Lewis Black, a big-time comedy cast. Then, it takes it's premis from one of the most loved talk show hosts out there, Jon Stewart.

It's slated to be released on October 13, and Barry Levinson directs it. It looks hillarious. Coming Soon gives us the synopsis:

Acerbic performer Tom Dobbs (Robin Williams) has made his career out of skewering politicians and speaking the mind of the exasperated nation on his talk show. He cracked scathing jokes at a fractured system night after night...until he came up with a really funny idea: why not run for president himself?

After a flip comment, Dobbs ignites a grassroots movement that puts him on the ballot. Hot on the campaign trail, he debates elected drones and says exactly what frustrated voters have often thought. Nov. 2nd later, the muckraker wins--only to learn that a computer voting error gave him the victory. With time ticking on the inaugural clock, Dobbs has a big decision to make: should he go back behind the mike or stay in the Oval Office?

I also have the trailer from YouTube, so you don't have to click any links to watch it, just click "play". Here it is:



I think this movie is going to be great. I think it will be funny, I think it will be fun to watch, and even more so I think it will be perfectly acted. They have lined up a cast of funnymen. Not just comedians, funnymen. The kind of people who can make you laugh without saying anything. All 3 of those guys can do it and do it well. I hate to keep beating a dead horse, but you all know how I think Robin Williams is one of the most underrated actors? Well I think this may be the movie that puts him back on track. His career has seemingly gotten stale, what with RV and all, but I think this will freshen it up again. So the acting is locked up.

Take that, and add this premis. Robin Williams essentially plays Jon Stewart. A political satirist talk show host that jokingly says he will run for President, and unexpectedly makes it on the ballot and off we go. The fact that this premis is so plausible right now, and so close to coming to fruition makes it even better, and will certainly add to its likability. I for one think it will be a lot of fun even if it's corny, which I think could easily happen when they get to the part about whether or not he should go through with it, and if it's "the right thing to do" or some garbage like that. Even with that though, I think it will still be really entertaining.

Initially, when I realized it was a movie basically about Jon Stewart, I said why not have Jon Stewart play Jon Stewart? Make it "The Jon Stewart Movie". But then I was thinking about it, and I realized that Jon Stewart has a very unique reputation. He is a very smart individual, very funny, and very powerful in his own way. He's got the young crowd by the throat right now, and you know, he probably could make it on the ballot. But all that is so far above this movie, that I think it only right that someone else tell the story. Like a biography, an homage if you will. Call it Man Of The Year: The Ballad of Jon Stewart or something like that. It may sound stupid, but I bet it would make tons of money. But doing it this way, based on Jon Stewart without saying so, is probably the safest bet.

Another point I initially second guessed was its PG-13 rating. But, again, after thinking about it, really, why wouldn't it be? Jon Stewart is very classy in his humor and doesn't use profanity, and it also deals with being President, so I think that's the rating it would have no matter what. Also, the notion that only movies that are rated G and R make money is true most of the time, the PG-13 exceptions, the ones that defy that rule, always make tons. If done right, this could be one of those exceptions.

Vote Tom Dobbs for President. He's no joke.